Flowers and Chocolates

by Priestess Kyoko

Rating: teen
Tags: Rarity, Romance, Sex, Fleur de Lis, Slice of Life, Coco Pommel, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 16547

When Coco Pommel is put into the role of co-designer, something more than fashion catches her fancy. A young starlet by the name of Rose Blossom may be the most confusing pony she's met, but perhaps there's more to her than meets the eye.

Returning from Rarity's generously donated job, Coco Pommel is eager to learn under the wing of Ponyville's esteemed designer and her timing couldn't be better. With Canterlot's yearly fashion show and the Grand Galloping Gala right around the corner, Rarity is called to design a eye-catching line for young starlet, Rose Blossom.
Ivory Tower, Rose's manager, runs every minute of her life, and her mother Red Velvet makes sure her daughter is perfect for every photo shoot, public appearance, and cat-walk. Rose's sister, Fleur De Lis, attempts to balance her life and relationship with Fancy Pants with helping her little sister get through each day in one piece.
With such luxury constantly around every corner Rose barely has time for anything but work, but when Coco begins to notice that Rose is anything but the happy, privileged celebrity that everyone thinks she is, Coco unknowingly comes to the rescue with the companionship Rose so desperately needs.
However, friendship can only help so much when you are forced down the wrong path. Rose needs more than just a friend, and what she wants may end up costing her everything.

Published 2014-04-09 13:30:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-11-10 09:49:51 UTC

Step One. Meet the Client

"Coco, are you packed yet? Our train leaves in half an hour, we can't be late!" Rarity called as she lifted her last bag onto the waiting cart. "Oh, and Big Macintosh, thank you do much for helping us with our bags, you're a dear."

With a full cart harnessed to him, Big Mac calmly smiled with a simple reply of "Glad to help."

"I'm here!" Coco set her last suitcase down by the door and straightened her collar. "Sorry Ms. Rarity, I nearly forgot my sewing kit, I had to run back upstairs for it." As Coco walked across the front path of Carousel Boutique, Rarity met her half way and walked alongside her.

"Oh please, dear, just call me Rarity. Just because we're working together now doesn't mean you need to treat me like a boss; you're here to learn and have fun!" Rarity took Coco's suitcase from her and set it in the last possible space the cart still contained.

"Thank you again Big Mac, we'll be right behind you, I just have to make sure Sweetie Belle and Opal are taken care of."

Rarity gestured for Coco to follow her as she walked back inside her boutique.

"You couldn't have arrived at a better time Coco, this job is even bigger than Fashion Week in Manehattan, we'll be all over Canterlot! If I remember correctly, you've never been to Canterlot, have you?"

"Oh, well, no. I've always worked in Manehattan; Suri was my last apprenticeship, and my first big project."

"Well, Suri just had you doing her sewing work; here you'll be my assistant and co-designer! You have a talent for working quickly, so I'm more than happy to have you here, Coco."

Coco smiled happily as Rarity placed Sweetie Belle's schoolbags on top of her work table. Walking over to her own saddlebags, Rarity lifted them onto her bag with ease.

"Thank you Rarity, you have no idea how much this means to me. Especially after you let me have your job. I don't know what I would have done without it."

"Oh it was no trouble at all darling, seems we both helped each other earlier in the year and now, we get to do it again in style!" said Rarity as she set Opalescence’s cat carrier on the table beside Sweetie Belle's bags.

"Fluttershy will be taking care of Opal and Sweetie Belle is staying with Apple Bloom... Alright! We're ready!"

The train station walk relatively quiet for a weekend. Usually one might see families wanting to take a pleasant train ride around the country side or a weekend trip to Appleloosa or even Las Pegasus.

At the back of the train, the last few suitcases and kits belonging to Rarity and Coco were being loaded into the baggage cars.

As the mares approached, hooves lightly clicking on the wooden flooring, Big Macintosh pulled the now empty cart towards them.

"As promised, a few bits for your work. Thank you kindly, Big Mac." Rarity said politely as a small leather bag holding a hoof-full of coins levitated from the saddlebag and set itself into the tool bag tied to Big Mac's cart.

"Last call for Canterlot! All aboard who's comin' aboard!" The train's conductor called across the station.

"Well, let's go Coco! I can't wait!" Rarity said excitedly as she trotted over to the conductor and pulled two tickets from her saddlebag. "Here you are, sir."

"Thank you miss, enjoy the ride." Rarity smiled as the conductor led them on board and left them to seat themselves. The mares sat opposite each other at the front of the train car, each looking out the window as the train lurched forward and began to pick up speed.

"Now about the job, Rarity?" Coco asked as Rarity set her saddlebags on the seat next to her.

"Hmm? Oh, sure, what would you like to know?" Rarity asked as she began rifling through on of the saddlebags.

"I know this is for Canterlot's Fashion Week, but what exactly are we doing for it?"

"We are going to be meeting with... ah, here it is; her poster." Rarity pulled a rolled up poster out of her bag and handed it to Coco who unrolled it on the seat next to her. "Rose Blossom, she's Canterlot's newest rising star. We're meeting her later this afternoon after we check into our hotel."

The mare on the poster was tall with thin, graceful legs. Her neck was proudly arched, and she held her front hoof high with one back hoof kicked out behind her. The motion caught in the pose was made all the more dramatic with her rich pink curls blown back across the page. Her piercing green eyes seemed to burn through the paper they were printed on. Above her, the words "Fashion Week" dominated the remaining space.

Coco looked back to Rarity as she leaned back in her seat.

"However, Rose Blossom isn't just another client. She's managed by Ivory Tower, one of Canterlot's top names in fashion; anything Ivory likes is destined to sell. Ivory wants Rose Blossom's career to take off during Fashion Week, so we need to design a whole line for her to get the job done. All we're doing today is meeting the client and getting their information; what looks best on them, what they will and won't wear sizing, pricing, and of course introducing ourselves. We'll get to shopping later."

"I'll just follow you; you seem more used to this than I am anyway." Coco said as she took in everything they would have to do today. Rarity obviously thought it was much easier than it sounded.

"Don't worry; you're new to this Coco. It'll be different but you'll get into the swing of things quickly, I'm sure. All we have to do today is listen and mingle: easy as sleeping on a Sunday morning."

"Ah Canterlot, only the most gorgeous city in Equestria, and without a doubt the finest." Rarity stood for a moment in awe at her favorite city. Never had this magnificent kingdom managed to disappoint her. "Come on darling, there's not a moment to lose. We're meeting Ivory Tower at her office."

"What are we going to do about the rest of the luggage?" Coco paused for a moment as she followed Rarity off the train.

"Oh I never worry about that; I arranged for our bags to be taken to our hotel rooms. Like I said, not a moment to loose!" said Rarity in a chipper tone. With a skip in her step, Rarity broke off at a trot with Coco right on her heels. "Ivory Tower's office is only a few blocks away, right above her boutique, "Castle Couture". She'll already be there with our client. Tell you what, to make the most of our time after we're introduced ourselves, why don't you take Rose Blossom's measurements while I take care of the orders with her manager?"

"Oh, sure, I can do that." Coco trotted quickly beside Rarity as the two left the station and entered the shining paved roads of Canterlot. "Oh my... It's so different from Manehattan."

"I think you can thank the Princesses for that. It's always had this charming appeal. I dream of living here one day; maybe I'll even move my boutique here! I promise you Coco, you'll have the time of your life here."

Lining the streets were masses of shops. Cafes dotted the corners with customers seated on padded pillows, sipping cups of coffee or tea. Some talked with friends, while others sat quietly alone, reading for watching others stroll by under the afternoon sun. Those who walked the streets were clothed elegantly. Mares with long dressed made from fine silks and velvet to warm them from the late autumn air. Stallions cloaked themselves in fine black suits, some wearing long sleeved shirts fastened with gold cuff-links. The sounds of hooves on stone echoed through every street and mixed with countless voices and the creaking of the wheels of delivery carts and carriages.

Coco's eyes widened as she took in the sights and sounds of the capital city of Equestria. It seemed lost in time compared to her home in Manehattan. The sounds which should have seemed familiar were almost alien when placed in this setting. A city where every building could have been a castle inside, and where streets were lined with candle lanterns instead of electric lights. Even from the road, the castle of the royal Princess sisters dominated the city, rising into the sky with its white walls glittering with sunlight.

"Ah, here we are; Castle Couture." In front of them was a large door with a rounded top and large window. Rarity pushed open the door with her hoof and allowed Coco to pass her. A bell sounded their entrance as the door closed behind them. Spread out in front of them was a large room that was dotted with multiple stages, each fitted with mirrors for one to examine themselves. Beside each were multiple racks containing anywhere from a single outfit to multiple dresses and suits, each with an identification tag attached to it.

Coco looked from the room towards Rarity as she approached a unicorn mare who sat at the front desk, her eyes scanning the contents of open binders.

"Hello there, we're here to meet with Ivory Tower, we're her two o'clock appointment." said Rarity politely as the mare looked up from her papers. Without speaking, she looked behind her and made a small fabric bound book levitate toward her. It settled silently on the desk in front of her and opened to a listing off time slots. Her hoof slowly trailed down the paper until she reached two o'clock.

"You're names?" She asked blandly, pushing her blue bangs to the side.

"Rarity and Coco Pommel."

"Ivory Tower is waiting for you. Go upstairs, her office is the first door to the left. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, Miss." Rarity smiled as she and Coco turned to begin the climb upstairs. Coco followed closely behind her and as Rarity reached the top, she took a moment for a deep breath. "Alright, this is it. Let's go." Rarity extended a hoof to push open the door but it flew open before she could reach it.

"There you are! Rarity, I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about this little rendezvous." Just inside the doorway stood a tall unicorn mare. Her coat was the color of cream against an ivory mane and tail, both silky and long.

"I wouldn't dream of it Ivory, not for all Equestria!" Rarity said in a delighted tone as the she stepped inside.

"Oh, you have an intern?" Ivory Tower's intense blue gaze fell to Coco who stood timidly a step behind Rarity.

"Oh no, she's not my intern, she's my assistant. Her name is Coco Pommel and she's quite talented; she'll be helping me with everything you have for us."

"Well, pleased to make both your acquaintanceships. Let's not waste any time, Rose has a party to attend tonight and we haven't a moment to lose. Rose, darling!"

"I'm ten feet behind you, Ivory, no need to yell for me." Across the room, the voice calling back to Ivory belonged to a soft pink mare. Her mane and tail were as long as she was tall, and curled elegantly to the ground below the seat she sat in. In front of her levitated a small book, which she placed lightly on the table beside her when she was called, revealing two dark green eyes slightly narrowed against an emotionless face. Slowly she stood up from the chair as Ivory approached her. "As you both know, Rose is my newest upcoming star. She has a series of débuts planned, for which I'll need your highly recommended expertise in making her look as perfect as possible."

"Highly recommended? By whom?"

"Rose's sister actually, I believe you know her. She'll be back momentarily; she stepped out with her rather handsome better half." Ivory straightened Rose's curls with a stroke of her hoof as Rose stared blankly at Rarity and Coco. The lack of emotion in Rose's eyes made Coco curiously look her over, as if trying to find what had made her so off putting. "Anyway, let's go over what you'll be doing for Rose in terms of wardrobe, shall we?"

"Of course. Coco would you mind taking Rose's measurements? We'll save them some time." Rarity asked kindly as she took a small notebook and quill out of her saddlebag.

"Sure, no problem Rarity." Coco glanced over at Rarity, but quickly followed Rose as she walked to the over side of the room, her tail swishing widely with each step.

"Tail high, dear! Remember, your mother knows how beautiful it makes you look!" Ivory called over before resuming her talk with Rarity. "Now, Rose looks best in light, flowing fabrics so nothing with too much structure; we want her photographers to catch her nature curves. Silk, satin, lace, anything like that is fine for you to use, even velvet if you can make it thin enough..."

"I hate velvet." Rose muttered under her breath as she turned to face Coco. "Look, I've had this done so many times, I know my measurements. Just let me tell you, going through it again is just ridiculous."

"Huh?" Coco looked up from her saddlebag, half way through taking out her measuring strip. "A-Are you sure? If anything's wrong you won't get the right fit." Coco's voice trailed off as Rose nodded before she finished speaking.

"I told Ivory she didn't need to schedule this meeting. She's has so many designers measure me I don't think she could even count them all. Just write them down okay, please?" Rose insisted in a hushed voice as she extended a hoof halfway towards Coco.

"Well," Coco paused for a moment, but seeing that the slightest touch of concern in Rose's eyes, she nodded, "alright. Just, uh, name them off when I ask. Let's see, height at the withers? In inches; I can do the conversions later."

"Thanks uh, Coco, right? Oh, and forty point eight." Rose said with the smallest hint of a smile.

"Forearm length?"

"Twelve point two five."

Coco quickly jotted down the various measurements listed off by memory. Rose met each question with a quick answer, her eyes glancing across the room occasionally at Ivory and Rarity.

"... and finally, Rose is scheduled to entertain the most elite of Canterlot at the Grand Galloping Gala. There, she'll mingle with the crowds before headlining in the night's fashion show entertainment hour. The theme for the night is anything to do with winter, forget the silly theme name. That is a perfect time for some sort of lace gown with snowflake trim; ah, it'd be perfect." Ivory Tower mulled over her words while making a thin teaspoon gently mix cream into a cup of coffee.

"Not a problem. Winter is always the best time for lace; luckily is looks as if Canterlot will have a warmer winter this year so Rose should have no trouble with thin material." As Rarity's quill put the final marks on her notepad which now contained multiple used pages of notes, a knock sounded at the door.

"Ah, come in dear!"

"I'm terribly sorry for stepping out; I had some issues to settle. Rarity, you made it!"

"Fleur De Lis? You're Rose's sister?" Rarity asked in a surprised manner as her notebook settled back into her notebook.

"That I am, I recommended you to Ivory. After those extraordinary outfits you wore to the Wonderbolt's Derby, the Garden Party and my yacht party, I knew you'd be a wonderful designer for Rose. Not to mention, Ivory has some amazing connections all over Equestria that you'll have access to."

"I cannot thank you enough for this, Fleur. Really, thank you. Oh, Coco, are you done with those measurements?"

"Just finished, Rarity, and, hello there, I didn't catch your name."

"Call me Fleur, Coco. Nice to see another mare with exceptional tastes in Canterlot; I adore that hair piece."

"Oh, thank you Fleur, Manehattan treated me well." Coco set her notebook back into her saddlebag as she and Rose walked back over to join the trio.

"Are you ready to go Rose? Mother wants us to be ready before the party to greet everyone."

"Sure, whenever you're ready." Rose responded, lightly brushing her pink curls back behind her ear.

"Rarity, are you available tonight? We'd love to have you both attend this little get-together my mother has planned.

"Oh well, we didn't have anything planned exactly. Are you sure? We would hate to intrude."

"It's no intrusion at all, you're always welcome." Fleur said with a chuckle as she tossed her silky mane back over her shoulder.

"Well, if you insist then of course I'd love to attend. Coco, would you like to come along?"

Coco looked from Fleur to Rarity as the two spoke in elegant tones, and crossed one front hoof over the other when Rarity turned to her for an answer. Manehattan never had many parties. It was to business oriented to plan much other than business meetings and small company gatherings.

"I uh, well, sure. I've never been to a Canterlot party before, and there's always a first for everything."

"Marvelous! I'll have you put on the guest list as soon as I arrive back home. You'll find us at the Silver Gates Villa, just off Diamond Boulevard. The first guests should be arriving around six o'clock; we'll hope to see you then."

"Of course, thank you again Fleur, and it was nice meeting you Rose." Rarity said kindly as the sisters turned to leave the office. Rose quietly closed the door behind her without a word and with only a shimmer of magic left behind.

"I do believe that's everything, Rarity, and now it looks as if we'll be seeing each other again tonight. You must tell me more about your successes then, yes?"

"Oh, sure Ivory, of course. Perhaps I could hear some of yours as well? I can tell you about Fashion Week in Manehattan, exactly where I first met Coco."

"Perfect; we'll talk then. Until then, you get ready, the hostess, Red Velvet, values punctuality. I suggest you aren't late, you'll never hear the end of it."

"We'll be right on time. Thank you once again Ivory, this has already been a wonderful experience." Rarity and Coco both stepped outside the office, and Rarity breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "This is perfect Coco. I'll let you see Ivory's notes later, I'm sure we can come up with some marvelous designs for Rose's débuts."

"Well anything we make will have to be long-legged. Rose is taller and slimmer than I expected. She's... well, not entirely all for this, I think." Coco rubbed the back of her foreleg with her hoof, thinking back to Rose's request to entirely skip the proper measurement process.

"Oh, everyone gets a little frazzled before a party, especially when you're under Ivory's management. Now! Let's get back to the hotel and get dressed, you'll love Canterlot parties; all the sophistication and class, you'll never experience anything like it, I guarantee it." Rarity excitedly tossed her royal purple mane back as she turned and trotted towards the stairs.

Step Two. Drink and Make Friends

The hotel suite Rarity and Coco had rented out for the entirety of their time in Canterlot was no exception to the capital's beauty.

The suite was circular and swept from one room, which housed two exceptional dark wood framed beds complete with veils and thick quilt blankets, to the other, which opened to a beautiful ivory and gold trimmed bathroom and a sitting room which overlooked the Canterlot streets.

"Well then, to work! I wish we could get started on Rose's line right away, Ivory gave me some excellent ideas, but a little fun before work never hurt anyone." Rarity threw open her massive trunk which could has doubled as an entire closet and brought out a dark blue dress with a gold saddle embellishment. "Fleur really is such a dear. I wish I could have gotten to know her better during my last visit." Rarity held the lovely garment up against her as she posed against a mirror mounted on the large side of the trunk.

Coco watched Rarity with a quiet chuckle under her breath before turning to her suitcase; Suri was always one for appearances but Rarity seemed to always want to redefine the word 'fabulous'. Opening her small, neatly packed suitcase, Coco looked over various professional garments she had brought with her; skirts, slacks, jackets and blouses.

"Rarity?" Coco asked as she shuffled through the folded clothes.

"Yes dear?"

"What exactly do I wear to a party in Canterlot?"

Rarity glanced over towards Coco and smiled as she laid her dress over the chair in front of the room's vanity table and walked over to examine Coco's clothes.

"It's not what you wear darling, it's how you wear it. And for you, definitely this. Simple yet refined; Perfect." From the trunk Rarity levitated a thick white turtleneck sweater and laid it nicely over the side of the bed behind them, then walked to her side of the room again. From her trunk she pulled out a simple gold trimmed wooden box and set it on the vanity. Opening the box, she pulled aside various pieces of jewelry until she found the piece she was looking for.

"And this too; it goes wonderfully with your hair pin." Walking back just as Coco finished pulling the sweater over her head, Rarity placed a pink flower pendant with a small purple crystal at the end of each petal. "Now, how are we going to do your mane?" Rarity chimed as she trotted back to the vanity and began lining a salons worth of mane products, brushes, and combs.

"Oh there's no need for that Rarity, I like my mane like this." Coco smiled as she straightened the pendant around her neck.

"If you're sure," Rarity picked up her dress once more and slid it over her head then straightened the train before pulling her mane up. Carefully she began to place various bobby pins in critical points to keep her mane held down. Minutes later, a single lock of hair curled down just past her ear. "Perfect." She sighed in relief as she stood and found Coco looking over her notebook. "Oh Coco dear, tonight's just for fun. We'll work tomorrow."

Coco shrugged her shoulders while setting her notebook into her trunk.

"I guess I'm just nervous about getting started; the usual."

"Don't be, you'll do fine, but tonight's a party darling, now let's have some fun before having to work our tails off, hmm?" Rarity's ever present smile seemed to calm Coco's nerves as she grinned and nodded. "Since we have some time though, how about we visit a few shops along the way?"

Leaving the room together, Coco closed the door behind them and they descended the stairs of the hotel and entered the streets of Canterlot.

Silver Gates Villa was a towering fortress against a picture perfect landscape of untouched green hills. To one side of the estate, even from the street anypony could see and smell the vineyards of sweet grapes grown for luxury wine. In the evening sunset, the lanterns set in the courtyard set a soft glow across the massive and elegant polished stone walkways. Through the gates, a large crowd of Canterlot's best separated into groups of friends and acquaintances. Rarity and Coco had just barely crossed the threshold before Fleur Dis Lis spotted them.

"Rarity!" Fleur Dis Lis excused herself from her group of friends and quickly walked to meet her two newest guests. Following at a slower pace was her supposed significant other, Fancy Pants. "Glad to see you made it."

"Of course, we wouldn't miss this for the world." Rarity kindly shook her head to a server who offered a tray of drinks.

"And of course you remember Fancy Pants, the only pony who matches your eye for expensive tastes I imagine. Well, except perhaps my mother."

"Why yes, how are you Fancy Pants? It's been a while since I've seen you; not since my last trip I imagine."

"Had I not been as busy I would have made time for a luncheon perhaps, but it's good to see you again Rarity. Is this charming young filly another one of your Ponyville friends?"

"An amazing friend of mine, but she's actually from Manehattan. Allow me to introduce Miss Coco Pommel."

"Hello," Coco smiled shyly, "it's a pleasure to meet you Fancy Pants, I heard a little about you when I was in Manehattan."

"Coco is also my assistant while we're here working for Rose Blossom. I've never seen a more talented pony in fashion."

"Coco Pommel, what a charming name, and since the both of your are working for Rose it seems we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Definitely. While we wait for anyone else arriving, how about the two of you head inside? Ivory Tower and Rose are mingling with potential sponsors. Oh, and do watch out for my mother though, I'd say she likes a grander entrance then you, Rarity." Fleur said with a slight chuckle.

"If her reputation proceeds her, I'd expect nothing less. We'll meet you both inside, Fleur." Fleur gave a gentle wave of her hoof as Rarity and Coco turned to cross the remainder of the courtyard. Coco followed slightly behind, in awe of the crowd around her and the massive estate in front of her. Sure the buildings in Manehattan were tall but this was laid over a vast expanse of land. At the top of a set of white stairs, two unicorn stallions opened the doors for the mares as they were met with the elegant melody of music playing through the halls. The foyer was dominated by a large fountain with a statuette of a posed mare on top. Down both sides large gold embellished pillars held a massive slanted roof that seemed more fitting for a cathedral than an estate.

"If I didn't know where we were, I would think this was some sort of castle." Coco said as she attempted to take in the architecture.

"Amazing isn't it? One of the reasons why I adore Canterlot so much. Let's find Rose, shall we?" Rarity strode fourth with deliberate steps, as if fully knowing that she belonged and was expected. Each step was graceful, yet powerful, and her presence caught glances from around the room from both stallions and mares alike. However, the smaller mare following her went nearly unnoticed as she walked with her head slightly lowered, her timid nature getting the best of her as she attempted let Rarity take the brunt of the attention. In crossing the foyer, Rarity spotted the unmistakable sparkling white mare known as Ivory Tower; and if one did somehow miss her sheer silk dress, they did not miss her voice which carried across the room in all directions.

"We have an extremely well known designer working on Rose Blossom's fall and winter designs; her own sister recommended her. Who? Oh, her name is Rarity - yes the mare from Ponyville, she took first place in Manehattan's Fashion Week not too long ago. Oh here she is! Rarity dear, please, join us!"

Rarity immediately stepped forward while Coco lagged somewhat behind as she admired her surroundings. As Rarity joined the group, she seemed to completely blend in as her voice joined the in with the ponies who were once again completely lost in conversation. Coco, finally remembering that staying close to Rarity was the best way to survive this flood of ponies, turned around to follow her mentor but found herself colliding into a taller body.

"Oh, excuse me- you're the mare from the meeting earlier. Coco, right?"

Coco took a step back to reveal Rose Blossom staring down at her. A large white and pink lily was placed in her mane, which was held up in a bun with a white ribbon, with curled pink bangs hanging over the right side of her horn. A thin white crochet style shawl was draped around her shoulders and tied loosely around her neck.

"Y-Yeah-Yes. Yes, you're right. Sorry about that." Coco took another step back, one hoof crossing over the other as she flick her tail back.

"Don't worry about it, my fault really for taking the long way. Procrastinating." Rose rolled her eyes as she dropped her head in a sigh, but quickly seemed to realize what she was doing and raised it high once again. "I swear Ivory's gonna give me whiplash, this is too damn ridiculous. Sorry but I have to go, my mom needs to introduce me to everyone... again." As Rose brushed passed Coco, she paused for a moment as her sister approached her.

Fleur De Lis painted a smile on her face as Rose approached and uttered a question that was drowned out by the mass of voices surrounding them. Fleur shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, and Rose's expression softened as her sister turned and stepped away. As the sisters went opposite ways, Fleur approached Coco with a small smile.

"You look a little overwhelmed dear, I know Manehattan must be different from Canterlot. Come on, things should settle down after my mother finished her usual party introductions." Fleur stopped a few paces from Coco and gestured to her with a hoof.

"I am a little, I guess... but, I'm with Rarity, I should wait for her." said Coco as she seemed glued to her place on the floor.

"She'll be talking for awhile dear. I can introduce you to my mother if you'd like, while you're waiting?"

Coco tilted her head as Fleur's smile softened further until it was barely noticeable, and glanced back at Rarity who was still absorbed in her talk with Ivory and the group of elite ponies. As she turned back, she nodded and followed Fleur as she walked through the crowd and through the large archway into the greatroom of the estate. On either side of the room were two large marble stairways leading to a second floor. Towards the back of the room was the source of music that Coco was greeted with when she first entered the estate; a small band the consisted of talented ponies playing the piano, violin, harp, and cello.

"Up there, she always speaks from the second floor balcony." Fleur pointed her muzzle towards the balcony above, and Coco turned to see the massive structure towering above her.

"Is everything always this big in Canterlot?" Coco asked as she took a step back to avoid feeling completely dwarfed underneath the rising staircases.

"I suppose everything is more open. Manehatten is built vertically after all, I suppose you're used to everything being tall compared to wide. Try visited the big city after staying here and you'll wonder how ponies ever get that high without wings." Fleur chuckled softly as Coco smiled in an amused way.

As the band's song ended, the voice of a stallion echoed over the room. Looking up, Coco saw that he stood at the top of the stairs, and across from him on the balcony stood Rose. Her eyes stared out in front of her almost lifelessly, as if she was staring passed the wall at the back of the room. When she turned her head to look at the crowd, her eyes met Fleur, and the feeling of being alone in facing the crowd below fell over her like the heavy veil of night.

"The Mistress of Silver Gates, Red Velvet, and the young lady Rose Blossom wish to address you personally. If you would please direct your attention to the balcony," the stallion spoke stiffly without opening his eyes, as if he had done this a dozen times before.

From the hallway beyond the staircase, sharp hoofsteps rang out, announcing the mare who appeared in on the balcony moments later. Her strawberry red mane was held up with strings of pearls, while her tail hung down to the floor in thick waving curls. Her dark green eyes commanded the attention of those below as she joined her daughter on the balcony.

"My dearest friends and colleagues, I'm delighted to see you all here again," as Red Velvet began speaking in as elegant and light a tone as her voice could manage, ponies from the other room began to join those in the greatroom. "and for those of you here to meet my youngest daughter, I personally extend my gratitude for assisting us with her career. Rose Blossom's headline is Fashion Week here in Canterlot is official, but we have more in store for you later this season going into the Grand Galloping Gala and Hearths Warming Day. Any business inquiries should be directed towards myself or Ivory Tower and rest assured that we will personally answer every letter we receive. After all, without all of you, Rose would never have made it this far and she adores the praise and compliments sent to her."

Coco tilted her head in a confused way as she glanced around the room while Red Velvet spoke. Smiling faces, nods of approval, and occasional soft claps of hooves on the marble floor all seemed to be the complete opposite reaction that she would have expected. In looking back to the pair of elite mares, Rose turned her gaze away from her mother, her brow slightly furrowed as her tail half lashed in suppressed emotion. Fleur seemed to notice this as well, as her shoulders dropped while watching her sister completely tuned out the advertisement her mother was selling rather than simply thanking the guests for attending.

"Now, on with the party! In celebration of moving forward with the start of Rose's career, please join us in the dining room for champagne and horderves." Red Velvet approached the stairs in a elegant walk as the room once again came to life with the band starting up once again and ponies resuming their conversations on the way to the dining room. Quietly slipping around to the opposite staircase, Rose descended after most of the crowd had followed the more demanding presence of her mother. Fleur was the first to approach her sister while Coco shadowed her.

"Rose, what's wrong?" Fleur asked as Rose rolled her eyes before staring daggers at her mother out of the corner of her eye.

"It's... nothing. I'll be right back okay? Can you cover for me?" Rose let her head sink slightly, and she rolled her shoulders back heavily.

"If you need a moment, sure. Just don't take too long okay? Mom will send Ivory looking for you if you do." Fleur laid a hoof on Rose's shoulder lightly, and Rose nodded her head slowly in response with the slightest smile of thanks on her lips for a fraction of a second. Quietly she slipped behind the crowd and into the dimly lit hallways leading back into the smaller servants rooms of the estate.

"Is she okay?" Coco asked with a concerned tone as she glanced between the two sisters.

"Rose... well she doesn't always enjoy everyone's full attention. Mother can be a tad too much for her sometimes. She'll be back, I wouldn't worry dear." Fleur offered politely as she watched her sister leave. "Let her compose herself. In the mean time, let's find Rarity, shall we? No doubt my mother is hunting her down at the moment, she was very interested to hear of your attendance tonight." Fleur tossed her soft pink mane to one side as she gestured for Coco to follow her around the crowd and into the dining room.

Most grand dining rooms would host a long, grand table to seat at the very least a dozen ponies. Red Velvet's dinning room took that concept and multiplied it two times over. Two massive cherry wood tables dominated the most space. Each was lined with silver platters of the finest Canterlot caviar, fresh cucumber sandwiches paired with bowls of pears, crisp apples and plump vines of grapes. Tall, multi-tiered cakes decorated with red roses dotted the spaces between horderve plates. In each corner a servant held a serving plate of bubbling champagne and white wine.

As soon as Coco and Fleur entered the room, Fleur levitated two glasses of champagne towards her.

"Do you drink at all, dear? It's my favorite brand; Whitemane's Savant." Fleur offered one of the glasses to Coco as she paused in midstep.

"Not much, but I don't mind a little champagne." Coco turned her hoof to balance the glass as Fleur released it from her magic's influence, and gingerly sipped the savory, sweet and tangy drink as Fleur lightly waved towards her quickly approaching mother.

"There you are darling, I thought Rose would be with you." Red Velvet said as she glanced around for the tell tale pink mane of her youngest daughter.

"She excused herself for a moment, she needed to fix her mane." Fleur said nonchalantly as she sipped from her glass.

"Ivory, could you help her? This is her first party as the main attraction and I need her perfect for her clientele." Red Velvet nearly spilled her drink as she gestured across the room, causing her levitating glass to kick forward slightly.

"Of course." Ivory's tone was calm and blunt as she took a step away from the group, but was stopped by Fleur who held her hoof out too her,

"Oh it's nothing terrible Ivory, just a few hairs out of place. Why don't we, er..." Fleur paused for a moment, swirling the champagne in her glass as she tried to quickly think up a reason to delay the manager. Coco glanced between Fleur and Ivory, and stepped in before Ivory decided to wander off in search of her model.

"Fleur and I were just talking about how Rarity already has some brilliant ideas planned for Rose's first line. Have you told them already, Rarity?" Coco asked in a bright tone, her blue eyes glancing in Fleur's direction for a moment, just long enough to catch the look of thanks in Fleur's expression as they looked to Rarity.

"I had nearly forgotten, Coco! Excuse me for talking so much about myself, with all the questions I'd forgotten why we're here in the first place. Well," Rarity took a breath as Ivory turned towards her in curiosity. Red Velvet did the same, fixing her scarlet eyes on the fashionista as if it was of great importance. "after everything Ivory told me, I picture Rose in a stunning winter line. With Hearth's Warming Eve and the Grand Galloping Gala both being in winter, that will definitely be her biggest show. So, I picture her all in velvet..." Rarity continued to speak to the two mares who listened to her intently.

"Thank you." Fleur whispered subtly to Coco as she listened to Rarity speaking. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Sure," Coco said quietly in return, keeping her eyes on Rarity as her mentor continued on.

"Can you find Rose? She'll probably be less irritated around you instead of Ivory. I can keep them talking for awhile."

Coco glanced at Ivory, but nodded a few times and took a step back from the group.

"Excuse me for a moment." Coco said as she turned away. Fleur levitated Coco's drink into the air.

"I'll hold your drink dear, hurry back." Fleur smiled in thanks as she stepped closer towards the group of mares. Coco nodded quickly as she walked across the now mostly deserted main hall and towards the hallway Rose had taken.

Entering the red carpeted hall, Coco glanced side to side as she scanned any open doors along either side of the hall. As a servant came out of two swinging doors, which could safely be assumed to be a kitchen by the smells of cakes baking coming from between the doors, Coco stepped towards them.

"Excuse me, did you see Rose Blossom come by here? Her mother is looking for her."

"I saw her earlier ma'am, she went out the servant's entrance there, I assumed she was looking for someone. Should I send someone to fetch her?" The stallion asked politely as he gestured towards the door at the end of the hall.

"Oh no, I can find her alright. Thank you, sir." Coco said with a friendly smile as she walked down the hall to the side door and pushed it open with her hoof. "Rose?" She asked as she peered outside. The servant's entrance was bordered by a tall hedge that led down to the rear of the mansion. With nopony in sight, Coco slipped out of the doorway and quietly followed the stone path to the back of the mansion where she was met with a massive hedge maze bordered by elegant stone benches and small potted trees. As she rounded the corner, she paused as she stepped on something other than stone. Glancing down, she found the familiar crocheted shawl that Rose had worn earlier, and picked it up and laid it over her back as she continued down the path.

A few more steps revealed a lone figure leaning on a raised porch just above the entrance to the maze. Her front hooves hung over the side of the balcony as she stood on her hind legs, and the bright glow of magic made her presence obvious. Coco trotted closer and climbed the stairs, only to paused abruptly at the piercing, almost angry gaze that met her.

Rose's narrowed eyes relaxed slightly as they recognized the mare in front of her, and she turned back to look over the maze before throwing her head back to take a long drink from a large brown bottle. Her mane was no longer neatly done up in a bun, but hung in messy waves down her neck. The ribbon and flower laid on the ground as if shaken out of her hair.

"I thought you were Ivory. Who's looking for me now?" Rose said coldly as Coco took a few quiet steps closer.

"... Ivory, and your mom." Coco said as she stood on her hind legs and laid her front hooves on the balcony railing. Rose narrowed her eyes again and rolled her eyes.

"Of course they are... can't get two minutes before they send the Canterlot guard looking for me." She snapped irritably as she took another drink from her bottle. After a moment, she glanced towards Coco and silently offered the bottle to her.

"I-I prefer champagne. Thank you though." Coco said while shying away from the strong, bitter smelling liquor. Rose withdrew the bottle and laid it on the railing. Coco glanced between Rose and her hooves, drawing a blank on what to say to the mare who seeming drunk enough to be easily irritated. As a cold breeze caused a background of rustling plants and trees, Coco pulled the thick neck of her coat up and pulled Rose's shawl from around her shoulders. She stepped closer and offered the shall to the mare who lifted her head slightly as she spoke.

"It's getting colder out, you should have a sweater." Coco said lightly,retreating back a step as Rose lifted her head and stared down at the shawl. She blinked and levitated the shawl towards her and tied it around her neck before laying her head on her front hooves.

"Fleur made this for me." Rose said quietly as Coco silently watched her. "She's the only one who knows how much I hate these stupid parties. Every week my mom throws these things and it's always the same hoity-toity high and mighty ponies who couldn't give two tosses about anything but their hooficures or their perfect manes or the next stupid fashion show. It's all fake, everypony in there is just a fake looking to hire me rather than just... just talk to me for once." Rose narrowed her eyes as she turned away from Coco and levitated the bottle in front of her again to take another long gulp of the strong liquor.

"Fleur's covering for you, we have Rarity keeping your mother and Ivory busy. I-I thought you would have liked people wanting to hire you. You are a model after all, it's your career."

"If they'd be straight forward about the whole damn thing, it'd be easier. Every time Ivory makes it into this big ordeal as if everyone wants to get to know me, and every time it's the same thing; measure her and make the dress or whatever. Then I only hear from them again if they want me to be some guest or attraction at their next generic party. Fleur likes that kind of thing, not me. Modeling is my talent, not the only thing in my life." Rose looked sharply at her cutie mark, three four pointed stars, and nearly glared at Coco, who drew back slightly in surprise at the mare's aggression.

"How would you feel if that mare, Rarity, dragged you around with her only to show you off like some street-filly until someone decided to invest with you? You never have time to sit down let alone talk to your own sister or see how she's doing, or even hope of seeing any friends..." Rose's voice trailed off as she hung her head, her bangs falling over her face as she slowly lifted her gaze to the bottle again. She shook her head and turned the bottle upside down, pouring the rest of the drink onto the stone below the balcony. "Too much. Sorry, I don't usually have someone listening to me go off... It sounds a lot worse now, it must be annoying."

"No, not annoying." Coco quickly added as Rose looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "I guess I'm just sorry you never had anyone listen before this point, I can only guess how long that was bottled up for." In attempt to calm Rose down, Coco took a step closer and pushed the now empty bottle away across the railing. "I didn't realize you disliked the attention either."

"It's not the attention." Rose said quietly as she laid her head down again, "It's the insincerity. Every one of them has this blank stare. I can tell they're not thinking of me, they're thinking of the money I make them or the attention they get for their line. There's no variety. It's the same thing, day after day. I can't stand it."

"Is that why you, you know, drink?" Coco asked hesitantly.

"I'm never allowed anything apart from wine or champagne. I have to sneak the strong stuff. I usually get in in fan mail; mom always checks it before I get to it but I sometimes get to some of the packages before she does. You'd be surprised what some ponies send me. It's not appropriate table conversation, if you know what I mean." Rose attempted a small, dry laugh but fell short half way through.

"I-I see." Coco said as she glanced between Rose and the balcony. "Well," She paused for a moment, then perked up and turned towards Rose, laying a hoof on her shoulder, "since we're going to be working together, but I-I don't mean just because we're working together, but... how about I buy you a coffee sometime? I always get a coffee in the morning, a-and since I'm new to the city, maybe you could show me a good cafe where I could... you know, buy you a coffee?" Coco asked shyly, her voice slightly stiff as Rose slowly lifted her head. She chuckled slightly as Coco withdrew her hoof.

"Doesn't sound like you've asked anyone out on a date before." Rose said with a slightly more amused tone. Coco's eyes went wide at what Rose said.

"I-I didn't mean--"

"Relax, filly, I'm kidding. How about tomorrow morning? I think a coffee could work for the hang over I'll have."

Coco drew her head back, but nodded slowly.

"S-sure. Should I meet you here?"

"Nah, not with Ivory hanging around. There's a small cafe on the corner of Solar and Main, just around the corner and a few blocks down from here. I'll meet you there. 8 o'clock?"

"Solar and Main, 8 o'clock. I'll see you there." Coco nodded with a smile, catching the smallest smile on Rose's face as well as she looked down and levitated the ribbon and lily off of the ground.

"You wouldn't mind helping me fix my mane before enduring the rest of this party, would you?" Rose asked as she looked at the messy ends of her mane.

"Of course not, sit down on the bench, I'll pin it back up."

Rose took a seat on the bench, lowering herself to the height of the shorter earth pony mare. Coco took one end of the ribbon in her mouth and as Rose held her mane up she tied the bulk of her curls into a tamed bun once again, and smoothed the few untamed hairs with her hoof before placing the lily back in her hair just behind her ear.

"There, Ivory approved, no one will even notice it was down." Coco said lightly as Rose smoothed her bangs to one side and straightened her shawl.

"Thanks for that; the less they notice, the better. Shall we?" Rose offered as she looked over her shoulder at Coco, who nodded and followed alongside her as they walked down the stairs and towards the servant's entrance.

Step Three. Take a Coffee Break

Mornings at the Silver Gates Villa were quiet at the best of times. Luckily the calm Sunday morning left the mansion all but dead silent in the early morning.

Seated on a petite white vanity seat, Rose ran a fine tooth comb through her mane while a brush smoothed each curl until her hair hung naturally to one side. The last gesture the levitating comb made was one swift brush over the shortest curls so they lay neatly over the left side of her face.

As the comb and brush were laid down on the vanity table, Rose stared at the tired green eyes reflected back at her. The fact that she could barely keep them halfway open paired with her dull yet persistent headache nearly made her want to crawl back into bed. However, a coffee could be a much needed remedy for the bitter headache that racked her mind.

Rose turned away from the reflection and placed her front hooves on the cold hardwood floor. Slowly she walked to the foot of her bed where her knitted shawl lay draped half way off of the thick comforter. Without even lifting her head she drew the shawl towards her and only lifted her head enough so it could loosely tie itself around her neck.

Finally she turned and crossed the soft area rug and reached the double doors of her room. Quietly she slipped out the doors and closed them behind her, turning only to bump into a passing pony.

"Celestia's flank... Fleur--sorry." Rose held her forehead as she backed a step away from her sister.

"You're up early. Are you okay?" Fleur asked as she tilted her head to get a better look at her youngest sister. "You look awful. Are... Rose, a-are you drunk again?"

"Hungover, Fleur... Hangover's happen after the drinking." Rose said as she lowered her head and looked up at Fleur's shocked expression.

"So you were drinking again? H-How? You barely had a sip of wine when you came back last night." Fleur narrowed her eyes slightly as Rose attempted to step around her only to be blocked by the taller mare.

"It doesn't matter Fleur, besides I didn't have much this time." Rose said irritably as she leaned against the wall to await the retreat of Fleur in hopes she had something important to attend to.

"That's not the point Rose; what if mother saw you? Or Ivory? What would they say? Mother despises some of the things you drink; it's not healthy." Fleur lowered her head as her voice turned more concerned for her sister who only looked at her out of the corner of her eye.

"They never notice. I have to go, okay? I'll be back later." Rose pushed herself off of the wall and stepped around Fleur who attempted to follow after her as Rose began descending the staircase into the main hall.

"Go where? You don't have anything planned today; it's Sunday." Fleur stopped as Rose reached the bottom of the stairs and looked back at her.

"I have a date, I'm just getting a coffee. I'll be back before Mom decides to send anyone looking for me." Rose had barely taken another step before Fleur called out again,

"A date? With whom? R-Rose, wait," Fleur paused as Rose turned slowly back again, "well, before you go, have you seen Fancy Pants since last night? He... Well, he wasn't home when I woke up, a-and he didn't leave a note or anything. I thought maybe he was here for breakfast and I just didn't hear about it." Fleur rubbed the back of her foreleg with her hoof as she watched Rose's expression change from blank to sympathetic. After a moment of quiet, Rose responded in a lighter tone.

"No. I barely even saw him last night after you both arrived. You can check the guest rooms, I'm sure he's somewhere close by." Rose attempted to reassure Fleur as she stepped down the last few stairs with a sigh.

"It's alright. Anyway I'm glad you have a date so don't let me make you late." Fleur painted a smile on her face even when Rose frowned at seeing the forced expression.

"If I see him, I'll tell him you're looking for him. He's around Fleur, don't worry, you know he's never far away with you around. I'll be back in an hour or two, if he's not here by then, we'll look around his usual spots, alright?" Rose asked in a softer tone as Fleur's smile widened and the older mare wrapped a hoof around her sister's neck and hugged her close.

"Thanks Rose. I'll cover for you until you get back; have fun. Love you."

"Love you too, Fleur. I'll see you in a bit." Rose returned the hug before smiling again at her older sister before releasing her and turning away to cross the main hall and foyer as quickly as possible to lower the risk of being intercepted by her mother or Ivory Tower. Luckily the front doors were not posted with servants just yet, and Rose slipped quietly between the two front doors. As they began to swing shut behind her, she caught then both in a magic pull and lightly shut them behind her. Satisfied with the mostly quiet get away, Rose turned and immediately felt her headache worsen as the bright morning sun beat down on her. After taking a moment to adjust and let her headache subside slightly, she began the decent to the Canterlot streets.

Though it was obvious that her presence was noticed, with mares and stallions glancing her way as if to confirm her identity, Rose took comfort in the fact that half of Canterlot considered themselves celebrities and would most likely let her continue on her way uninterrupted. However Fleur's worry of other ponies possibly noticing the air of a hangover rather than simply seeing a tired unicorn made her lift her head just high enough to pass for the average Canterlot pedestrian.

As she turned the corner, she sighed in relief at turning away from the morning sun, thankful to be cast in her own shadow for the remainder of the walk. However, halfway down the street Rose caught the sound of a soft laugh in the low rumble of hooves on cobblestone and quiet early morning conversation.

Rose lifted her eyes to find the slightly blurry outline of Coco exiting the front doors of a small bakery. The smells of freshly baked breakfast pastries rushed out as the door opened and Coco set a neatly wrapped parcel on the path next to her. She turned as the baker followed her half way out the store and lifted a camera from around her neck with her hoof.

"Would you mind if I took a photo of your shop, sir? It's so charming." said Coco as she smiled sweetly at the stallion.

"Of course not, ma'am. Go right ahead, after having a doll like you in my shop, it's the least I could do." The stallion responded as Coco stood and balanced on her hind legs as she lined up the photograph and clicked the capture button. Satisfied with the photo she let the camera hang gently around her neck as she placed her hooves back on the ground. She straightened the small purse that hung around her neck so that it hung back over her shoulder.

"You're here early." Rose interjected as Coco waved to the baker as he returned to the counter of the bakery.

"Oh, good morning Rose!" Coco said excitedly as she turned to face the model mare. Rose unfortunately cringed slightly at Coco's voice.

"Sorry but talk a tiny bit quieter please? Slight hangover here." Rose said as she blinked tiredly. Coco lowered her head slightly and nodded quickly.

"Sorry about that, I forgot about the drinking. Would breakfast possibly help? The baker gave me extras; he said I was a sweetheart." Coco smiled and giggled happily as she picked up her package by the ribbon handles.

"Well aren't you just a regular flirt? Here one day and you already have ponies giving you free pastries. Wonder what you could do after a few weeks." Rose and Coco both turned to walk to the cafe next door to the bakery. Rose set herself down on the nearest cushion on the closest outside table and sighed in relief. Coco lightly set the parcel down on the table and unwrapped the decorative pink cardboard box and opened it to reveal four perfect croissants, each still steaming and smelling of melted chocolate and light, flaky bread. Rose's eyes fixed on the fresh pastries before looking up as Coco as she was sitting herself down on the cushion on the opposite end of the table.

"You aren't a secret fanfilly of mine, right? Even Fleur doesn't know how much I like chocolate."

"Who doesn't love chocolate? I thought everypony did."

"Not as much as me. Mother only has this weird unsweetened stuff that would make a foal cry." Rose seemed preoccupied with the sweet smell of chocolate as Coco was met by the waitress, a grey unicorn with a small black apron. Beside her levitated a notebook a quill. Rose's eyes were fixed intensely on one of the chocolate croissants as she levitated it from the box and onto the square plate in front of her.

"Chocolate perfection." Rose quietly said to herself.

"Good morning ladies, what can I get you today?" Asked the mare in a polite voice.

"Just a caramel cappuccino for me, please. Could I get that with an extra bit of caramel on top?" Coco asked as she politely crossed her front hooves.

"Of course, and for you-- Rose Blossom?!"

Rose immediately held a hoof to her lips to silence to mare before she said anything else.

"Rose wants a quiet morning." Coco said quickly, holding a hoof out to the waitress. "She didn't sleep well last night; terrible migraine after the party."

The mare seemed intent on speaking to the celebrity mare, but relaxed as Rose's appearance gave the impression that her story was very true.

"My apologies Ms. Rose, I-I'm just a huge fan. I'll make sure the staff and customers give you your space. D-Did you want to order something as well?" The mare straightened herself up as she regained her composure.

"Yes please, a cup of your Baltimare roast with a dash of vanilla cream, and if you could add a drizzle of chocolate ontop, I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course, I'll have them both out right away." The mare's quill hastily scribbled on the notepad as the unicorn turned and trotted back into the cafe.

"I'm surprised she didn't notice you sooner." Coco said as she giggled at Rose who went back to admiring her future breakfast.

"And I'm glad you seem so quick on your hooves, filly. I don't think I could have responded as fast as that." Rose said as she seemed to perk up slightly after the waitress had left.

"It comes with the job. Luckily Rarity doesn't have me running back and fourth like my last mentor did." said Coco as she took one of the croissants and set it on her plate.

"I caught a little about that story last night but being slightly brain-dead I didn't hear all of it. Something about your mentor lying to Rarity, right?"

"Right. Suri wasn't... Well, wasn't the nicest of ponies."

"Anyone in the fashion industry who thinks they're worth two bits is not nice. Unless they fake it to get by in public appearances. Fleur is the only exception I know of. 'It's not safe to be nice', as my mother says." Rose and Coco both shrugged their shoulders simultaneously.

"I figured that out the hard way," Coco's gaze drifted off to one side as Rose watched curiously, "Suri hired me to sew her line for fashion week in Manehattan. She wasn't nearly as good a sewer as she was a designer. Then again, she didn't design so much as she did "borrow" otherpony's designs."

"She wouldn't have lasted a day in Canterlot fashion. Here, if you steal, you'd better be ready to risk your reputation. That's why Ivory and my mother invest so much into every new line. That's why they're investing so much in you and Rarity." Rose snapped up a piece of croissant as she finished speaking, using her magic to tear off small bits of the sweet pastry.

"Oh no, just Rarity. All I do is the sewing and even she does that. I'm just her assistant is all." Coco waved her hoof to the side as if brushing the idea away.

"If Rarity brought you along, I think that she would have a good idea about your level of talent. Not to mention Ivory wouldn't invest in you if she didn't trust you both to do any good for her investment." Rose snorted as she rolled her eyes at the mention of Ivory's name.

Coco tilted her head, furrowing her brow as she examined the unicorn's reaction to her manager.

"Curious. You're talent is modeling but you hate everything about it." said Coco, thinking out loud as she took a bite of her pastry.

"Huh? What gave you that idea?" Rose drew her head back slightly at Coco's thought.

"Well, last night for one. You made it quite clear that you were upset."

"Oh," Rose paused and sighed softly, "actually, I should apologize for that. You shouldn't have had to deal with me like that, it must have been awkward."

"Surprising is more accurate. I could tell you needed someone to talk to. I just wish I could have talked to you before you got yourself so, well, intoxicated, but, apology accepted."

"You don't drink much, do you?" Rose chuckled as Coco shook her head. "I need to get you a drink before you leave then. There's a first time for everything. Oh, but about my talent," Rose paused for a moment as the cafe doors swung open and the same unicorn waitress exited the cafe with two levitating cups of coffee beside her.

"Here you are, and if either of you need anything else at all, please do not hesitate to ask me." She said as she gently set the decorative coffee cups onto the table.

"Thank you miss...?"

"Oh, Parker, m-my name is Parker, Ms. Rose...!"

"Parker." Rose repeated with a smile, "Thank you again."

"Your very welcome, Ms. Rose." Parker stammered as she turned and attempted to walk steady as she walked back to the cafe to attend to her other customers. "As I was saying, about my talent," Rose took a sip of her coffee before speaking, and was silent for a moment as she savored the strong, slightly chocolaty drink, "I don't hate it at all, I love what I do when I get to enjoy it."

"Well if you love it so much, why were you so upset last night? You said something about how it was all, 'fake', was it?" Coco asked curiously.

"Because it is, mostly. Occasionally I'll get a good day when Ivory can't make it to one of my photo shoots or appointments and I get do what I want to do instead of what she wants me to do. I love what I do; my entire family loves being noticed. I just wish ponies would notice me and not the money I make them, y'know? Plus I've had enough of the hoity-toity talk, it gets unbearably irritating after hearing it day in and day out."

"Why not talk to Ivory about it? I'm sure she could be reasonable." Coco suggested while sipping her cappuccino as she listened to Rose's explanation.

"Because she doesn't hear anything that doesn't have to do with the next fashion show. I think she's deaf, but only when I'm the one talking. Remember when you first met us? She's had me measured for every single new designer she's brought in for me. Believe me, it gets old really fast." Rose took a deep breath as she finished speaking and sighed loudly as she looked down at her breakfast again.

"Sounds like you could have used a coffee sooner. How'd you get out here without Ivory coming with you? By the way you talk it sounds like you two are joined at the hip."

Rose laughed dryly as she immersed herself in the warm smell of her drink once again for a short moment, taking small, savoring sips.

"I snuck out, like any other normal filly does. Fleur's always nice enough to cover for me when I need a break."

"I noticed. She seemed very understanding. I think she noticed I was new to Canterlot too."

"Filly, everyone notices that you're new to Canterlot. You've got the Manehattan look through and through. Fleur's always nice to newcomers, she's changed a lot since moving in with Fancy Pants." Rose said with a smile that quickly faded as soon as she mentioned Fancy Pants. "Speaking of which, you haven't seen him have you?"

Coco set her cup down as she tilted her head at the question.

"Fancy Pants? I met him last night, but I didn't see him after the party; Rarity and I went straight back to the hotel. I had to walk her back since she had a little too much champagne." Coco said as she quickly retraced the memory of the party. "Why? Is he okay?"

"It's not him, it's Fleur. They've been having some trouble lately."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry to hear that. It's not serious is it?" Coco asked in a concerned tone as she set her empty coffee cup down.

"Fleur thinks it is, and it takes a lot to upset her like this. I just hope it ends soon." As Rose spoke she looked at the bottom of her cup, as if staring at it long enough would make it fill back to the brim with coffee.

Coco smiled softly and nodded in agreement,

"Need another?" She asked kindly.

Rose looked up from her cup as she set it down in front of her.

"I would like one but I promised Fleur I'd be back in an hour. Maybe we can do this again tomorrow before the shoot, you and Rarity will be there working, right?"

"Definitely. Rarity is working on designs today and Ivory is going to be looking over her first drafts tomorrow."

"Then I'm buying; same time tomorrow? I hate to run out on you but--"

"Don't even worry about it, Fleur's your sister and it's important. I'm just glad you're better after last night." Coco smiled as she pulled her purse onto the table and pulled out four small gold bits and placed them neatly on the table. "How about you take her those extra croissants? At the very least it'll be a kind gesture."

"Really? Sure, thanks filly, she loves these things, although not nearly as much as she loves eclairs. So I'll see you here tomorrow then?" Rose said with a smile as she stood up from her cushion and levitated the pastry box over to her side.

"You bet." Coco smiled as she stood up as followed Rose out to the sidewalk before the two of them parted opposite ways.

Rose quickly broke into a brisk trot as soon as she finished her goodbye in order to get back home as quickly as possible. The short distance home was quickly covered in half the time she had taken to walk during early morning, and luckily the sun was still rising so it would be behind her for most of the way, leaving her nearly headache free.

As she arrived home, the two stallions stationed at the front door opened the double doors for Rose to pass, and she was met with a waiting Fleur, who lay on one of the love-seats in the foyer.

"He's not back yet, is he?" Rose asked gently as she approached her sister.

Fleur had not raised her head to see her sister enter the room but she shook her head and sighed heavily while looking down at the ground. Rose placed the pastry box on the end table beside the seat and sat on the ground next to Fleur, leaning her forehead against her sisters cheek.

"He must be at the arena again. I asked around, there was a whole list of races scheduled for today." Fleur said quietly as she pushed her muzzle under her crossed hooves. Rose wrapped one of her forelegs around Fleur's neck in an attempt to comfort her distraught sister. "He didn't even tell me where he was going this time, Rose, he just left without saying a word." Fleur's voice trailed off as she hung her head over the side of the seat, strands of her soft pink mane falling over her eyes. After a moment of silence between the sisters, Rose spoke up quietly.

"Come on, let's go check the derby arena. We'll bring him home; it'll be okay, Fleur." Rose said softly as Fleur looked at her from out of the corner of her eye. Slowly, she nodded and stiffly stood from the seat and placed her hooves on the ground. Leaning their shoulders against each other, Fleur and Rose left the foyer and exited the estate's large front double doors to descend the stairs back onto the Canterlot streets.

Step Four. Keep a Level Head

"Where ever are you going to Coco? We're not scheduled to be at the shoot for another hour." Rarity carefully wrapped large sheets of paper into tight cylinders, placing them into protective cylindrical cases.

Across the room, Coco straightened her collar and turned on her bed, one of her hind legs hanging off the side as she smoothed her mane with a brush held in the crook of her ankle.

"Rose and I had coffee yesterday morning and she asked to get another with me before the shoot today. I could've sworn I told you when I came back yesterday." Coco said before setting the brush down on the bed and gently hopping onto the ground.

"Did you..? You probably did darling, forgive me if I forget, yesterday was a busy day for us. I hope Ivory likes the first drafts." said Rarity as she nervously set the two cases on the bed beside her.

"They looked amazing to me, Rarity. Very bold, she'll love them." Coco assured her as she smiled while walking to the door.

"You really think so? Well, her Hearth's Warming line will be much softer and graceful. I thought why not go... oh, how does Rainbow say it... oh, "all out", that's it." Rarity giggled and crossed her hind legs, pleased very much with her work. "Oh, have fun dear! I'll see you at the shoot, don't be late."

"I won't, thank you Rarity." Coco called back as she let the door swing shut behind her as she made her way to the hotel elevator.

As Coco made her way outside, she was confronted by the early morning quiet that Canterlot seemed to have a reputation for. Few ponies were walking the streets, and those who were seemed to be on their way to work, with cups of fresh coffee and exotic detoxifying teas following them in a suspension of magic. With a smile she began walking towards the coffee shop, enjoying the soft sounds of hooves on cobblestone, bells sounding at the opening of doors, and quiet chatter among those who braved the slight morning chill.

"Coco!" The sudden call made Coco snap out of her tranquil walk and glance across the street to see Rose snuggled in a warm purple sweater, and coffee in hoof. Without missing a beat, Rose cantered over to Coco, a coffee carrying case following after in a mist of blue magic.

"You're early." Coco said after she had jumped backward to avoid the fast approaching mare who skidded to a stop just inches in front of her. "What's with all the energy?"

"Triple espresso shot, followed by this," Rose said as she brought forward her coffee, which smelled strongly of chocolate. "double chocolate chip hot chocolate." Rose said, pausing between each word for dramatic effect.

"And, how many have you had?" Coco asked, holding back a giggle by covering her mouth with her hoof.

"Three." Rose said with a wide grin.

"I couldn't tell." Coco said as she gave up on resisting the urge to laugh and giggled as Rose gestured for her to walk with her, stepping in place until Coco began doing so.

"I got you a caramel cappuccino too, is that okay?" Rose asked with a smile.

"Perfect actually," Coco said happily, "and not that I'd prefer otherwise, but what's got you out here so early?"

"Ivory was on one of her escapades. She wanted to go over the show's routine for the one hundredth time and I managed to get away just as she was reprimanding the lighting crew. "We need more cream lighting, too much pink and she just blends into the background."" Rose mimicked Ivory's voice with a hint of sarcasm.

"So... the usual?" Coco asked, receiving a nod in return as Rose sipped her drink. "Sounds painfully dull." She added with a chuckle.

"Not to mention she won't give me two minute to talk to Fleur. Fleur's relationship is more important than her."

"Relationship? Oh my, did something happen?" Coco asked in a concerned voice.

Rose sighed and shook her head, setting her drink into the case following beside her.

"Fleur's having some issues with Fancy Pants."

"Can I ask why?"

"It's just his behavior recently. He's been spending a lot of time and money at the derby track. She thinks he may have a problem."

"Gambling can be a slippery habit. Has she spoken to him?" Coco asked

"She has but he's not listening. I think she's more afraid of him doing something they'll both regret more than the actual gambling. Ya know?"

"I understand, that's unfortunate. Maybe you could talk to him? He might respond if someone other than Fleur speaks to him. From what I saw when I spoke with her at the party, she seems very kind. Maybe she's just too soft to really get through to him?"

"Fleur is a lot less assertive. That's where her and I are different. Fancy, however, is just as assertive as I am, if not more. When we get into an argument, we don't get anywhere."

"Neither of you want to back down." Coco clarified.

"Exactly." Rose said as they rounded the corner. Her tail lashed as she thought about her arguments with the hoity toity stallion. "Quite frankly I don't know how she stands him."

"She seemed pretty attached to him. Maybe she loves him. There's just a few kinks to work out, that's all." Coco said as she smiled calmly.

"I hope so. They've been sweethearts for years, and I'm happy so long as she's happy. Right now, she's not happy."

"Well depending on how long this has been going on, you can just stand back for awhile, and if things don't improve, you can intervene then. I think that they should attempt to work things out on their own first though."

"It's difficult doing that when I see how it's affecting her." Rose said with a sigh. "My mother and Ivory aren't making it any easier."

"Maybe she'll go easy on you once Rarity shows her the designs we drew up."

"No velvet?" Rose asked with a slim smile.

"I can't picture any of them in velvet. I was thinking perhaps silk, or satin. It's a very feminine line; formal but functioning. Rarity really outdid herself."

"Excellent, I can't wait to see." Rose relaxed her shoulders as she walked, smiling contently.

The hall that Ivory had reserved for both Rose's rehearsals and show night was a large circular ballroom. A small section was closed off as a backstage area, and the stage extended out to a central circular area that clearly was meant to showcase Rose's particular outfits.

In the main hall, on a desk littered with order papers and notes about errors in the lighting and sound timing, Rarity was laying out her initial sketches for Rose's line, and already had presented the first to Ivory who seemed very pleased indeed.

"Could we see it in velvet?" Ivory wrapped her red scarf around her neck as she glanced over the design Rarity had laid out on the table for her.

"Ivory..." Rose growled under her breath as she heard the mare's voice as soon as she and Coco first entered the building, shaking off the chill of morning. "What are you screwing up now?"

"Any fabric you want darling, just name it." Coco recognized Rarity's voice and immediately trotted into the room.

"Excuse me," Coco called delicately as she approached the pair.

"Ah Coco, you're just in time!" Rarity chimed as she laid down the second design.

"If I could make a suggestion, Ivory?" Coco asked as she stopped in front of the desk. Ivory gestured with her hoof for Coco to continue. "In this design, sorry Rarity," Coco paused as she pulled the first design up again, "this design was drawn up by Rarity, and as you can see, it's very form fitting. Look at Rose," Coco continued as she lightly pulled Rose closer to the table. Ivory's gaze followed with the slightest look of interest. "Rose is very slim, and velvet won't show off her natural curves, especially because it will hug her back, and make her appear taller and leaner than she already is. For this, I recommend silk, or satin for a better choice. Satin is a specialty fabric of mine, and I can tell you for a fact, it will work beautifully for that design. Don't you think Rarity?"

"Well," Rarity said with a pause as she lifted a hoof to her chin and thought about the idea. Rarity walked over to Rose and looked her over slowly, examining the curves that Coco had pointed out. "satin is beautiful, and with the design it would come together wonderfully, especially with some deep purple accents," Rarity said with a smile as she quickly trotted back to the desk and looked back at the design, quickly sketching a sash at the waist of the dress in purple ink. "But satin is so expensive Coco--"

"Oh Rarity, price is no issue here!" Ivory exclaimed as she walked over to Coco and Rose, "We're willing to put forward anything for Rose's career, and Coco my dear, you are right. Satin." Ivory's voice slowed as she spoke of the fabric, as if the idea was pleasing to think about.

Rose nudged Coco slightly, and smiled widely as Ivory walked back over to Rarity.

"Thank you." Rose whispered as she drifted over towards Ivory and Coco took her place beside Rarity.

"Coco drew this one up shortly after I finished mine, and I couldn't help but include it. The vest and beret work beautifully, and when she added the long sleeve button up, I fell in love. This is our more casual addition to the line; you can wear this to the pastry shop, or to afternoon tea."

"No skirt? Interesting. It does look very casual, but sophisticated as well. What do you think Fleur?" Ivory asked while curiously looking over the sketch.

"I love it, the vest and everything, it looks amazing." Fleur said as she grinned at the sight of the design.

"I thought we could order the leather for the vest from your friend Applejack, Rarity. Send a little business to her farm? I remember her having some cattle there."

"Ooh what a lovely thought, Applejack would appreciate it, not to mention helping her if we can out would be ideal." Rarity beamed as she pulled out her third and fourth designs, laying them side by side, "We'll be making these two together, as a set. The skirt detaches, and the top is two pieces. The top is a silk cover, which could be worn by itself as a casual piece. Below the cover we have the same material with medium length sleeves. The skirt attaches right at the waist line with a mermaid style skirt. Seeing as how Rose is a very tall and slim mare, I think the mermaid style will fit very nicely over her hips. This will be most likely gold or amber in color, depending on the silk, with the shoulder cover being slightly darker to accent the shape." Rarity said as she pointed to each individual piece featured on its own space in the sketch. Ivory glanced over the sketches with a satisfied look nodding as Rarity explained the last few sketches in great detail.

"As you can see, we're planning a lot for her first line by us, and her Heath's Warming line will be even better. I dare say I see some lovely reds, purples and whites in the future." Rarity said enthusiastically as Ivory and her turned away from the table and made their way to the front of the stage, sitting down in the front row.

"Rose darling, let's do one more run through. I want Rarity to see you in action so she knows how you work."

"Why can't I just tell her?" Rose asked while raised an eyebrow in an uninterested manner.

"Actions are better than words dear." Ivory stated calmly as she sat back in her chair and crossed her hind legs elegantly.

Rose snorted, rolling her eyes as she stepped towards back stage, then paused in mid-step.

"Coco, would you mind giving me a hood backstage? Some of the outfits have buttons." She asked, gesturing for Coco to follow.

"But you have mag--...Oh, uh, sure." Coco responded quickly as she trotted to catch up with the mare.

"This is the fifth "run-through" today. This isn't something that needs rehearsing, this is typical show routine." Rose growled under her breath as she shut the backstage door behind them and tossed her mane back behind her.

"It shouldn't be too difficult then, Rose. Just humor her, won't you? Go out there and enjoy yourself, here, how about this for starters?" Coco asked as she pulled a slim black cocktail dress from the rack and laid it out for her. "And... this." For the final touch, Coco pulled out a string of pearls from another outfit and laid it over the dress. "It seems more your style." Coco added with a reassuring smile.

Rose sighed heavily but smiled as she seemed to relax.

"Thanks. I'm kinda over the whole formal style. Too much of it recently. Oh, don't forget your coffee." Rose said as she began slipping off her sweater and set it aside. She brushed her mane to one side and slipped on the figure hugging, halter neck dress. The dress was divided on the sides, allowing for more natural hind leg movement, which Rose greatly appreciated.

"Go on, I'll get another ready. Oh! Don't forget these." Coco quickly but delicately snatched up the pearls between her lips and held them up to Rose, who tied them around her neck with the aid of a little magic. "Pearls really do look nice on you, I think I'll add a few of them to Rarity's designs if we need some beading." Coco smiled and detected a hint if shyness from the mare, who seemed to beam at the mere mention of a genuine compliment. "Now go on, before Ivory gets impatient." Coco shooed Rose gently as she went back to shuffling through the various articles of clothing on the racks.

"Thanks Coco." Rose said softly while walking out towards the stage entrance. "Ivory did you fire the sound crew again or are we doing this with some atmosphere?"

"Que sound please! Lights too, remember to keep the pink tones down!" Ivory's voice rang out from the main hall and Rose strutted out onto the stage with clean, powerful strides. If it weren't for the music covering almost all smaller sounds, her sharp, deliberate hoof-steps would have echoed across the entire hall.

"Slower, Rose! Remember, the others have to keep up with you. And, lighter steps dear, this line is all about your elegance, not your attitude." Ivory said as she held her hooves in front of her as if she was pleading with the mare.

Rose halted and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the request, but reluctantly complied as she took one, then two steps in time with the classical style music, following the rise and fall in the rhythm while pulling her head back and arching her neck elegantly, holding herself high in a proud way. As she reached her centralized position, she gently placed one hoof behind the other and turned her head to the side, her eyes closed and slender muzzle pointed downward. Her light pink curls fell over half her face, and as she turned to walk back down the cat walk, she almost violently kicked her tail out behind her, knowing it would irritate her manager.

Ivory shook her head, but leaned back in her chair, going along with Rose's passive aggressive show as long as the mare did as she told.

"The white one next, Rose." Ivory called after her.

As Rose rounded the corner she snickered under her breath.

"Ya know, she is fun to mess with. You should see her when she's really flustered." Rose said as she walked back to find Coco sipping her cappuccino.

"I'm starting to think you just like annoying her." Coco said with a sarcastic half smile.

"No, ya think?" Rose responded playfully as she walked by and grabbed a long white dress off the rack while holding the train up with a bit of levitation. As she began pulling the black dress over her head a knock came at the door, and without waiting for an answer, Fleur poked her nose in.

"Everything going okay Rose?" Fleur asked with a smile as she quietly slipped passed the door and trotted over to her sister.

"About as well as can be expected. Coco's been a dear with helping my Ivory-overload. You have to see her design Fleur, it has Manehattan style written all over it." Rose said as she laid the cocktail dress over one of the backstage chairs and Fleur held up the white gown for her to slip into.

"Oh? I'll take a look as soon as Ivory can take a break." Fleur smiled as Rose pulled her front legs through the short sleeves and shook her mane free until it hung back to one side. The two mares then walked together to the stage entrance, where Rose left with a smile and Fleur trotted back over to Coco and sat down in the chair across from her table. "Thank you, aside from her obvious sugar overdose, she seems to be a lot less stressed than she has been the passed few days." Fleur said as she smiled kindly at the shorter mare.

"I thought so too, which is good considering she didn't seem too well at the party a few days ago." Coco said as she set her cappuccino down and.

"It's been that way for awhile unfortunately, but having you and Rarity here is doing wonders. You two are just what she needs. Now I just have to make sure she doesn't drink so much caffeine that she becomes a coffee-addict." Fleur said with a light chuckle.

"Touch my coffee, and you die." Rose playfully pointed her hoof at Fleur as she stepped off stage.

"Yes I'm shaking in my hooves." Fleur leaned her head back and stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"Don't make me hide your favorite tea again." Rose flicked her hoof against Fleur's horn as she passed by her. "And come here, I need help with this skirt."

Coco giggled softly as Fleur stood up from her seat and followed her sister around the table before helping her pull the long train up and over her head.

"What about the red one next?" Fleur asked and she walked over to the rack of clothing and pushed a set aside to reveal a floor length red gown.

"I wish, but Ivory wants the green, sickeningly-fluffy one." Rose said, pretending to gag as she pointed her hoof at the dress before Fleur's choice.

"Oh it's not bad Fleur; think of it this way, it looks great around your torso." Fleur said as she pulled the green dress off of the rack and gestured for Rose to come closer. "Two or three more and she'll need a break for tea, just go with it."

"The train is hideous, it looks like the designer took a back of fake green feathers and dumped it on there." Rose muttered as she slipped into the dress and Fleur straightened her train out so that it hung correctly over her hips.

Rose headed back to the stage as Coco watched and Fleur sat back down next to her.

"So, while we have time, how is your line coming along?" Fleur asked, setting her chin on top of her elegantly crossed hooves.

"Well, I wouldn't call it mine, I've only put one design into the line. Rarity is the creative genius, I just help the line come into reality." Coco said with a humble smile.

"Just? Rarity wouldn't have hired you if you did "just" anything. She's a mare with expensive tastes and big ideas. If she trusts you with her designs, she knows you have some talent. So, what's this design Rose mentioned?"

"Well, after having a few... sort of, bold, first meetings with Rose, I thought that she needed an outfit that gave off a little more attitude than elegance. She seems to have plenty of elegance already, she seems to be a little bored with it. It's impossible to get anything casual here, at least, casual by Manehattan standards, so I sketched a thin leather vest over a white button up shirt, and a beret which I think will either be black or white, depending on what color leather we get."

"Leather? In Canterlot? Rose would be turning more heads than she would in her most expensive ball gown." Fleur tilted her head at the mention of leather, but smiled at the thought. "It's exactly who she is, I can't wait to see her in it."

"I just hope Ivory finds it suitable enough for the line. If not, I suppose I can whip it up on the side, it's not terribly complicated anyway."

"If you do, I know she'd appreciate it. She needs something to feel comfortable in these days." Fleur smiled. Just as Rose returned once again, the door opened and in walked a tall white stallion.

"Oh the illustrious Fancy Pants decides to grace us with his presence today, we should be so lucky." Rose sneered as she stepped towards Fleur and Coco, walking behind the table to switch out her dress again.

"A good morning to you too, Ms. Whiskey." Fancy Pants retorted as he entered the room.

"Stop it, the both of you." Fleur snapped quickly. "Rose, don't antagonize him. Fancy, leave her be. I didn't ask you to come here just to irritate each other, especially not in front of one of our designers."

"Of course dear." Fancy Pants mumbled quietly as he approached the table. "Coco, if I remember correctly?"

"You do indeed. Hello again, it's nice to have you here. Ivory and Rarity seem to be basking in the fashion to come." Coco said with an uneasy smile, trying to ignore the sudden tension as Rose refused to look back at the stallion.

"I noticed. Though Ivory just stepped out for her morning tea, so you might have to wait awhile, I believe Rarity went with her. Fleur darling, could we talk for a moment?"

"Sure. I'll be right back Rose, wear the red one next, it's my favorite out of the bunch." Fleur slipped out of her chair and followed Fancy Pants to the backstage door and reentered the main hall.

"Pompous ass." Rose snorted as she shook off the skirt of the dress and left it in a heap on the floor. "He's probably telling her how he wants to have their honeymoon at the derby now."

"Rose let's not cause trouble. He may have his faults but Fleur seems quite fond of him." said Coco, gently.

"Of course she is, she's head over hooves for him."

"What I mean is, don't do it for him, do it for her if you must. I don't think she wants the two ponies she cares about fighting at a moment's notice like what just happened."

Rose sighed heavily and sat down at the table, bring over her what would not be considered "slightly room temperature chocolate" and sipped at it while staring at the tabletop.

"He's going behind her back an it irritates me too no end." Rose muttered into her drink.

"I know but, maybe try just not saying anything for awhile? At least to him. None of you need the stress anyway." Coco spoke quickly, thinking most of her responses up on the spot as she tried to calm the mare down.

"Yeah..."

"You what?!" Fleur's voice came from through the door. Rose to suddenly jumped from her seat and rushed towards the door, causing Coco to jump slightly at her sudden movement. "On one race?! Fancy that's a small fortune!"

"I knew it." Rose growled as she listened to the conversation through the door. "He's at it again."

"It was a sure thing, Fleetfoot had the highest odds."

"A sure thing? Explain to me then how you lost a bet for that much silver. How? How could you?" Without seeming to wait for an answer, Rose could hear Fleur's hoof steps through the door as she seemed to leave the room. Rose quickly threw open the door and attempted to follow Fleur, but only caught the flash of her pink tail as she ran out the front doors.

"How much longer are you going to do this to her? Do us a favor and get some help or leave her alone. Fleur's too kind for this to be happening to her." Rose nearly snarled her words as she backed Fancy against the wall, using her height to her advantage to intimidate the slightly taller stallion.

"Rose don't you start--"

"Shut up! Stop this before you wring her of every coin she's made on her own. If you so much as spend another bit on that derby, don't bother coming back to the villa." Rose took off after Fleur with Coco quickly following after. Rose threw open the front door and stopped on the sidewalk, looking down each street for any sign of her sister. "She's gone home, I'm going to go after her. Wait for Rarity, I don't want Ivory freaking out and coming to find us, just tell her that Fleur and I went on a walk. Please?"

"O-Okay, go make sure she's alright." Coco nodded quickly as she watched Rose gallop off down the street at full stride. As the mare rounded the corner and vanished from sight, Coco stood silent in an attempt to process what just happened. The front doors opened quietly behind her, and Coco turned to see Fancy slinking out onto the street. Both locked eye contact for what seemed like hours, but Fancy's gaze soon drifted downward as he left the ball room in silence.

"Wonderful." Coco said with a sigh as she shook her head and went back inside to await the return of Rarity and Ivory.

When the high fashion duo finally returned, Coco explained that the sisters had gone on a walk. Ivory and Rarity returned to their usual banter about the Hearths Warming line, discussing various ideas and such, while Coco quietly sat and waited for Rose to return, or for the eminent search that would most likely occur if what Rose said about Ivory was accurate. After minutes began to add up, Ivory began to grow impatient.

"Send the sound crew home for the day, tell them to be back again tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp, we're run this through without any interruptions then. I'm going to Silvergate villa, I apologize Rarity but it seems we'll need to catch up more later, my client seems to forget that she has a schedule."

"No apology necessary. Coco and I will begin working on the line this week, we'll have the first pieces done as soon as possible." Rarity followed Ivory out of the ballroom with Coco close at her heels. "Let's go to work, shall we?" She asked Coco as she began walking down the street towards their hotel.

"Of course." Coco said quietly, watching as Ivory hurriedly began down the opposite way to retrieve Rose. She could only imagine what would follow. After Ivory rounded the corner, Coco reluctantly turned and followed Rarity to the hotel. She could address this tomorrow when everything had time to settle down.